Zenia
by LaurenIsCool
Summary: Monster? No. Demigod? Not quite. So what is Zenia, Daughter of Hestia? What is her mother, the woman who swore maidenship for eternity, keeping from her only daughter? My first ever Percy Jackson fanfic, hope you like it! Please leave a review!
1. Chapter 1

Oh, the rain! Why did it have to rain tonight, of all nights? I snuggled my sleeping infant closer to my chest and continued to run. I looked ahead and saw a small, beautiful house. This is the one Hera was talking to me about. She was the only one who knew of this child, except her father, of course. She told me that this was the house she would stay at until she was grown enough to go to Camp Half-Blood, or live on Mount Olympus, where she belongs. I had to hide her here because, well, I wasn't supposed to have children after I promised myself I would remain a maiden forever. I finally reached the doorstep and knocked on the door. It was a cabin-like house: an odd occurrence for New York, but close to home. A young woman, no older than 25, opened the door. She wore an old-fashioned dress and an apron. She gasped when she saw my daughter and me.

"Quickly, come inside! Oh, you poor woman. Here, warm up by the fire- I'll make you a cup of tea." She gushed, making sure I was safely in an antique armchair before taking a kettle off of the wood-burning stove and pouring a cup of hot water. She put the tealeaves in the cup and placed it on the side table next to me. She didn't seem to mind that a complete stranger was getting water all over her nice furniture. I shook off my weariness almost instantly- being by the fireside was the most comforting thing in the world.

There was a sound of someone walking down the stairs. "Amelia? What's all the noise?" Asked the voice of a man, about the same age as my rescuer.

"Oh William, this woman here- she was all alone in the rain with her newborn child!" Amelia said, "I couldn't just leave her out there in the cold."

The man nodded his head and went into another room. A few seconds later he emerged with a blanket and wrapped it around my shoulders. "What brings you here, adventuring in the cold with your baby?" He asked, sympathy and confusion in his eyes.

"I'm afraid I cannot stay here for long," I replied, "For my presence here cannot be detected. I must ask one favor, though- it's for her safety." I looked down at my daughter, still sleeping in her blanket.

"Anything!" Said Amelia, putting her hand on my shoulder. Hera picked the perfect couple.

"My Zenia- Goddess of Hospitality… I need you to take her. She is far from danger here." I said, looking up at Amelia and William. They were both wide-eyed and surprised. Amelia turned to her husband.

"Oh, William…" Said Amelia, looking at her husband with pleading eyes. Hera had told me before that the couple was unable to have children of their own.

"I…" He started, "Why are you leaving your daughter here, with complete strangers?"

"I have no choice." I tried to mask the sadness in my voice.

Amelia squeezed William's hand. "I suppose we could take your Zenia." He responded. Amelia kissed him on the cheek and held out her hands. I placed my daughter in them. She stared at the little girl with eyes of wonder- wonder and love. William put his arm around his wife and stared at the baby aswell.

"You have no idea how much you have helped me." I reached into my bag and pulled out a small box, about the size of an orange. "Please, give this to her on her 13th birthday. Have her open it in your presence."

William reached out and took the box in his hand. I kissed my daughter on the forehead, and I left the house. The rain hid the fact that tears streamed down my face.


	2. Chapter 2

"…Happy Birthday to you!" the small assembly of my family finished. I blew out the 13 candles on my birthday cake and my parents and friends cheered. I grinned as I took up the knife and cut a generous slice for each of my 3 best friends and my parents before cutting a slice for myself. I didn't have many friends, but I was thankful for the ones I did have- they were more than I could ever ask for. After they left, my mother pulled me into the living room where my father was waiting with a small box.

"You guys got me a present? No way!" I said, happy beyond belief. We didn't necessarily have enough money to buy things more than the bare minimum, so I rarely ever got gifts on my birthday.

"Happy Birthday, Zenia." He said as he handed me the box. I ripped off the ribbon and looked inside. It was a beautiful, intricate silver ring with a red garnet stone in the middle. It was absolutely stunning. I looked up at my parents, speechless.

My mother took my hand and put the ring on it. "Zenia," she said, "I have something important to tell you."

"What is it?" I asked, hoping she hadn't sold some precious piece of jewelry to buy the ring.

"That ring… it's a present from your mother." She said, holding my hand still.

"What do you mean?" I asked, "You are my mother!"

Her eyes were downcast. "I have been meaning to tell you this, but I didn't think it would be time until you got that ring." She started, "You see, Zenia, 13 years ago, a woman showed up at the front door with you in her arms. She said that she was in danger and she wanted us to protect you."

I stared at her in disbelief. "Is… Is this true?"

"Yes," said my father, "But we love you, Zenia. We love you like our own flesh and blood." I could tell he meant it, too. I don't know why, but I smiled. Something about the ring was filling me with a sense of comfort. I looked back into the box and retrieved a note.

_Dear Zenia, _

_By the time you get this letter, it will have been 13 years since I've seen you. You have a very important mission. I want you to go into Manhattan and wave for a cab. Tell the driver to take you to "The Place." He will know what to do. Once you are there, ask to talk to Chiron. And please, Zenia, remember this: I love you. _

_With love, _

_ Your Mother_

I held the note in my hands for a few seconds before turning to my parents. "Mommy," I said, "Could you give me a ride to Manhattan?"

My mother had parked in an unoccupied parking spot, which took an hour to find. I stood on the sidewalk during rush hour traffic, wondering what to do. I waved my hand in the air and called out, "Taxi!" A taxicab pulled up, and I told my mother I should go alone. I climbed into the taxi. "Umm… I need to go to 'The Place'" I said.

The man in the drivers seat nodded and started driving. I can't tell you when exactly, but I slowly came to the realization that the cab driver had eyes in the back of his head- literally! I rubbed my temples and tried to find a logical explanation for this. I must be going insane! "Excuse me, sir, but do you have eyes all over your head?" I asked, before I realized how freakishly weird that sounded.

But, to my surprise, he nodded. We were soon on a dirt road, and I was trying to cope with the fact that my taxi driver had eyes all over his head. He went off the road and swerved, barely missing a tree. "Careful!" I said, holding onto the seat in front of me. "Hey, what gives?"

Soon, we were out of the woods and into some sort of beautiful meadow with endless strawberry fields to the right and an old Greek-inspired summer camp to the left. "Is this Camp Half Blood?" I asked the driver. He nodded. "Do you speak?" He shook his head. If only more men were like him… minus the extra eyes, of course! "I need to speak to Chiron." I said. The man got out of the cab and opened my door. "Thank you!" I said as he helped me out. He had an eye on the back of his hand. He led me into a giant blue barn where a horse stood up to meet me… except he wasn't a horse. It was a horse all the way up until where the horse's neck was supposed to be- that's where the torso of a middle-aged man came out. He was wearing a bright orange CAMP HALF BLOOD tee.

"Hello, Zenia," Said the horse-man, "We have been expecting you."


	3. Chapter 3

I tried to smile pleasantly, despite the fact that I was utterly confused. "You're Chiron" I guessed. He nodded.

"Come," he said, "I'll give you a tour of the camp." He led me over to a large group of small houses. They were all beautiful and different, and they all seemed kind of random.

"Do you know why I'm here?" I asked Chiron.

"Yes." He answered plainly. He didn't offer to tell me why.

"Good," I replied, "Because I don't."

"Anyway," he continued walking, "You'll be staying there." He pointed to the most wonderful of all the houses. It looked kind of new, like it had just been finished a month before. It was a small log cabin with a cute little bench out front.

"_Stay?_" I asked, confused, "Where am I, anyway?!"

"Because you, my dear, are a demigod. Well, sort of." He said.

"What?" I asked, "What's a demigod? And what do you mean, _sort of?_"

"Zenia, have you ever seen anything strange in your life? Something that you just can't figure out? Something that you know must be real, but it defies all odds?" He asked. This guy (or horse… whatever he was) was really confusing me.

"Well, now that you mention it… I guess I have see some weird things. Like giant dogs roaming the streets. And a few months ago, everyone fell asleep at the same time, like the just passed out. And there was some kind of battle in New York City… but I thought that was all a dream." I recalled.

"It wasn't a dream. That was a battle to save Olympus." He replied.

"_Olympus?_ Like, the _mythological city, _Olympus?"

"Yes. It's right above the Empire State building- 600th floor."

"You're crazy. No, scratch that, _I'm_ crazy. There is _no way_ I am talking to a half-man-half-horse." I said. I was totally and utterly confused.

He smiled that 'been there, done that' smile. "Zenia, listen to me. The Greek gods are real. You're the daughter of Hestia; Goddess of the Hearth, and you will stay here until it is safe for you to leave. Now is a very hard time to be the child of a god. Now, your things have been packed. You will find them in your cabin." He gestured towards my quaint log cabin, and I went inside. It was cozy and warm. A fire blazed in the stone fireplace, and there were 4 beds: 2 sets of bunks. There were also four dressers, and one contained all of my clothes. I wondered how they got there.

I walked outside and looked around. Goat men were running around, playing various games. Some women were talking by the water- in fact, it looked like they were _made_ of water! Girls emerged from trees and started running around, grins on their faces. One teenage girl was riding a beautiful white Pegasus. This place was like heaven on earth. I looked over at Chiron.

"This is your home now. You can choose to stay here all year, or you can just come here in the summer. But please, keep in mind: it is extremely dangerous in the real world, especially for a young woman like you. Consider my offer seriously." He said. My mouth hung open. "It's okay," he said, "You can sleep on it. There will be plenty of time to talk in the morning." The sun was setting on the horizon, and I had to admit, I was pretty tired.

"Thanks, Chiron." I said. I walked into the cabin and decided to leave the fire going when I changed into my pajamas and went to sleep.

**Thanks for reading so far, everyone! I'll continue to add chapters, just saying thanks. **** Also, if you could leave a comment, I will love you forever! Seriously- every time I see someone leave a comment on one of my stories, it totally makes my day! **


	4. Chapter 4

I woke up the next morning and found a woman sitting by the fireplace, poking the fire with a metal rod. "Who are you?" I asked. She turned her face towards me. She had tight brown curls down her back and warm brown eyes. She smiled, which filled my heart with a feeling of security. I have no idea why.

"I'm Hestia, your mother." She walked up to me and cupped my head in her hands. "You are my first child. I am sorry I had to leave you when you were born, but it was for your safety. I vowed chastity for eternity, and there is no telling what the other gods would do to you if they found out I had a child." She smelled like fresh-baked cinnamon rolls.

"So… you're my mother?" I asked.

"Yes. I told Chiron that you were my daughter through an Iris message-"

"An Ira-wha?"

"Nevermind that. All that matters is that you are safe here." She embraced me, and then pulled away. "Do you see that ring you have there?" I nodded. "That is my gift to you. It is sealed with my blessing. As long as you wear that ring, you will be protected by me." I gave her a smile, and she kissed me on the forehead. "I must go now, and tend to the fire of Olympus. I haven't left in thousands of years, and I can only imagine the consequences of someone realizing I'm gone." She handed me a bag of golden coins. "Use these if you ever want to talk to me. Drop one in a rainbow and tell Lady Iris to direct you to Hestia on Mount Olympus." And with that, she walked _into_ the fire and was consumed by flames. In a matter of seconds, nothing was left of her.

I put the gold coins on my dresser and put on some warm clothes. It was a chilly November morning. I played with my dark brown ringlets. (So _that's_ where I got them from… I was wondering why both my parents had straight blond locks!) A young boy, about 14 years old, walked up to me. "C'mon," he said, "You're going to be late for breakfast!" He grabbed my hand and we started running towards the mess hall. (Which, in actuality, was an open-air pavilion. This place was so cool!)

There were a bunch of tables, clustered around a fire. Sitting at the tables were about 50 teens and children, eating their food. A goat boy walked up to me and led me to a table, while the boy who had taken me here went to sit at a table that looked like solid sunshine. "We don't have a table for you, yet." He said, "Hestia was supposed to remain a maiden for life, so we didn't think we needed one for her. So here, you can sit with Chiron and a pudgy black-haired man. He took me to a nice table and held out a chair for me.

"Thanks!" I said. He gave me a plate of Geek yogurt and strawberries. I was about to dig in when he slapped the fork out of my hand. "Hey!" I said, "What gives?"

"Sorry…" He said, and Chiron smiled. The pudgy guy rolled his eyes.

"You're supposed to make a sacrifice to the gods." Chiron said.

"I… I have to kill the goat boy?" I asked, startled. Chiron laughed.

"_Satyr_" the goat-boy corrected.

"No, of course not. You just put some of your meal into the fire." He pointed to some of the campers scraping offerings into the flame.

"Right." I said. I walked up to the flame and put two of the biggest strawberries in. The flame crackled with delight. It smelled astonishing, but I was able to tear myself away from the beautiful smell to return to my seat.

"I'll make sure a table be made for Hestia at once." Chiron said as I finished my food.

"Thank the gods," Said the pudgy man, "I don't want this brat sitting at my table for the next 50 years."

"Don't mind Mr. D. He's just angry because he can't have his precious wine." Chiron said.

"Mr. D? Wine? As in, Dionysus?" I asked.

"_Shh!_" The satyr said, "There's power in a name, you know."

"I see… So Chiron, what exactly _is_ this eminent danger that I am in, being the daughter of a Goddess?"


	5. Chapter 5

The next week whizzed past. I slowly discovered that I was no good at sword fighting, archery, medicine, or knife throwing. I did, however, have quite a knack for setting things on fire and breaking things. I called my parents 3 times each day, assuring them that I was okay and that I would be back for Christmas. I even sent Hestia an Iris-message.

I was in the gym, trying to put out the fire that I have no idea how I set on one of the dummies, when the Apollo kid approached me- the one that had fetched me for breakfast the week before. "Hey," he said, "I don't think I introduced myself. I'm Orion Roma." He extended a hand.

I shook it. "Like the constellation?" I asked. He laughed

"Yes, like the constellation. So you're Hestia's daughter, huh? That's pretty cool. I thought she was supposed to remain a maiden forever." He said.

I shrugged. "Hey, not my fault. I think it was supposed to be a secret, but then she told me that there was a new rule that all demigods had to be claimed by their 13th birthday."

"So your dad never told you where you were from?" He asked.

I shook my head. "I don't know who my dad is. She left me with, well, my current adoptive parents. I don't know why it's such a big secret. She never even told me who he was." I changed the subject. "Awesome weather we're having, huh? It feels like springtime!"

"Yeah!" Orion said, "It's November, but it's short-sleeved weather! Not typical for New York."

Just then, a girl ran into the sword fighting gym. "Hey, you two!" She said, "Chiron wants everyone in the mess hall. Big announcement." She was clearly out of breath. Orion and I abandoned the charred remains of the dummy and jogged over to the mess hall. Everyone was gathering there- Satyrs, tree spirits, and campers alike.

"Quiet!" Chiron bellowed. All the chatter stopped. "Alright. As you may already know, the weather is much too hot for a Manhattan winter. I am sad to announce that this hot trend is happening all around the Northern Hemisphere, especially on and around the North Pole. I want three demigods to venture out and find the source of this problem- and I know just who to send. Zenia, will you please step foreword?" The crowd gasped, including me. He wanted _me_ to go? I have only been here a week, and I wasn't good at anything! "Go up to the attic and talk to the Oracle. She will tell you what to do."

I went into the big blue barn and ascended the stairs into the top room. Strewn about the room were various relics of the past. In the corner sat a teenager with wild red hair. She looked up at me.

"Zenia," she spoke, sounding like a thousand souls of the dead screaming. It was terrifying. "I thought you might come. You have come for your quest, no?"

I nodded.

"_You are the bearer _

_ Of the key of mystery_

_ Do not look behind you._" The Oracle shook, and returned to normal.

"That didn't rhyme!" I accused.

"It's a _haiku_. They don't have to rhyme." She responded.

"Haiku's have five syllables at the end, not six."

"Oh, details, details. Now go and pick out two people to go with you on your quest."

"Where's my quest to?"

"_In the underworld _

_ The one who calls you by name _

_ He will know what you seek." _

"Hey, that last line had six syllables, too!" But she was gone. I shrugged and ran downstairs to tell Chiron.


	6. Chapter 6

I told Chiron of the prophecies, and he rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "Well," he said, "I guess you're going into the underworld to find out what's wrong. You have to hurry, though. The average temperature is rising by 2 degrees a day. In a month, we'll all boil up- get rid of the heat by then." He handed me a sack of gold coins and cash. "You may need this."

"I need to take two people." I said, "That's what the Oracle told me."

"Very well, then, pick two people."

"I pick… Orion Roma," I said. The crowd clapped and he jogged up to stand next to me. _Thanks_ he mouthed. "I also want Will Solace to accompany me." He pranced foreword aswell and clapped his brother on the back playfully. I figured if I had 2 stellar archers on my team, I wouldn't have to get close enough to an enemy to fight them. We made small talk after the crowd had dissipated, and then I retired to my cabin. When I got there, my mother was sitting on the hearth, reading a book. "Mom!" I said, running up to her and giving her a hug. She hugged me back.

"I heard about your quest, Zenia. I'm very proud of you." She said. Her words were like being wrapped in a cozy blanket.

"Thanks, mom. I'm kind of scared, though… the Oracle said that someone would call me by name in the underworld, but I don't know anyone who has died."

She shook her head and put down her book. "Even if you do not know him, Zenia, he knows you well." I lifted an eyebrow.

"What? What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Never mind that. I'm happy you got picked to go, though." She smiled. It's hard not to be happy when she's smiling in the room.

"But why me? I'm no good at sword fighting or archery or anything!"

She thought for a minute or two, and then looked into the fire. She stared at it intently. "You weren't meant to do something that requires brawn, like sword fighting, or flashy, like archery. Tell me, have you tried hand-to-hand combat?" She asked.

"No…" I replied honestly.

"Reach into the flames." She instructed. I was fearful, but I did it anyway. The fire did not hurt my hand, but instead it felt like waves of warmth coming from the embers. I found something sharp and pulled it out. It was a set of 2 knives. The blade and hilt were made of celestial bronze, and the hilt had designs of flames, designed with garnet. "They will always return to you. Press the back of each knife." I did as she said. They disappeared, and a charm bracelet appeared on my wrist. There were two charms on it: a flame and a log cabin. "Just press the charm and it'll turn into a knife." I wanted to thank her, but she was already gone. I fell asleep in no time.

I woke up the next morning to a knock at my door. It was Orion and Will, coming to summon me. We were to leave this morning, in about an hour. I got dressed quickly, wearing sweat shorts and a tee shirt. (Which was extremely strange for a Manhattan winter. I took the sack of money and gold to the ceremony where we leave. Chiron gave Orion a bag of nectar and ambrosia. "Use it wisely." He advised. There was a crowd of people gathered, ready to watch us leave. They were bickering on how we should get to the underworld. Percy Jackson thought we should shadow-travel. Nico di Angelo was mad he didn't get to go, and he said that he could open up a path to the underworld right here. Annabeth Chase said we should go the long way, just like she had to. Grover Underwood said it was too dangerous and we shouldn't go at all.

We finally agreed to ride the hellhound. Her name was Mrs. O'Leary. She seemed to take a liking to me right away, but she was skittish about Orion and Will. I eventually convinced her to go, though. Annabeth Chase gave us a big rubber ball and wished us good luck. We waved goodbye as Mrs. O'Leary bounded off into the darkness.


	7. Chapter 7

Okay, so, I bet you've never tried shadow travel, right? Well duh. It's kind of like riding a roller coaster, but without a harness. Or something to hold onto. Hell, there wasn't even insurance!

We got to the underworld in under a minute and, let me tell you, it was not how I would have imagined. Percy and Nico had told me all about it, but I was _not_ expecting _this_. I thought it was supposed to be a dark and dreary place where everyone was depressed all the time. This place was totally beautiful. (With the exception of the fields of punishment, of course!) There were green fields that seemed to stretch on forever. I thought the Fields of Asphodel were supposed to be dead and depressing! There were beautiful trees and flowers all around. The River Styx had been cleansed and was now a beautiful river, flowing over rocks and pebbles. The terrifying sight of a three-headed demon dog heading straight at us tore me from the beautiful surroundings, though. Its mouths were foaming, and it did not look happy to see us. I squeaked the giant toy, and he stopped in his tracks. Cerberus.

"You want the toy, puppy? Huh?" I waved it around, which was difficult, seeing as it was about the size of a person. "Fetch!" I said, throwing it. It didn't go far, but it got Cerberus excited. He pounced on it, and each head fought for the toy. Mrs. O'Leary, who was much smaller than Cerberus, started chasing her old friend around. That's when I heard it.

"_Zenia!_" Called a panicked voice, "_Zenia!_"

"This way!" I shouted, running towards the EZ DEATH line. We ran straight through the ghosts.

"How can you be so sure?" Asked Will.

"You can't hear that?" I asked. I heard another _Zenia_ in the distance.

"No." Chorused the two brothers.

"C'mon!" I started running again. I was getting closer to the yelling. Soon, I reached the most intricate palace I had ever seen. It would have been beautiful, except for the color: the palace was solid pink. Flowers spilled out from every nook and cranny, and the gardens were perfect. The path was wonderfully placed pebbles. I heard another panicked _Zenia!_ and knew we were getting close. I ran straight past skeleton guards in ballroom gowns until I reached the throne room. On the throne was the scariest thing my eyes had ever beheld, and I can never un-see it:

It was Hades, King of the Underworld. He was bound to his throne by the stem and leaves of a giant sunflower, and he was sporting a fluffy pink bunny suit. The tortured faces of the dead were interwoven into the garment. "Zenia!" He pleaded, "Help… Me…"


	8. Chapter 8

"I'll handle this." Said Will, drawing a knife. He struck the stem of the sunflower, but it just made a clanging sound.

"It's no use." Said the suffering king, "Persephone and her mother cursed my entire empire to… to… _springtime_."

"Is that why the world is getting so hot?" Asked Orion. Hades nodded.

"I have no doubt that she will keep roasting the world until every living soul is dead… She just wants to flood my kingdom with more misfortune." He said.

"We'll convince her to lift the curse." I assured him.

He let out a small chuckle. "Easier said than done- you don't know my wife."

"I'll see if I can pull some strings." Said Will.

"Yes, well, please do. She should be in Antarctica by now. But hurry! I don't know how much longer I can take all this _pink_." Hades looked like he was on the verge of tears, which didn't really make him look threatening, let alone the flowers and the rabbit suit.

We were walking out the door when I suddenly remembered something I wanted to ask him. "Lord Hades?" I asked.

"What?"

"How did you know my name?"

He paused. "Just _go_." He hissed. We turned around and ran.

When we got to the River Styx, Mrs. O'Leary and Cerberus were nowhere to be found. We searched around for over an hour before I heard Orion cry out. "Found her!" I ran over to where his voice came from. Cerberus and Mrs. O'Leary were sacked out, snoring so loud it would surely deafen a mortal.

"Do you want to wake her up?" I asked him.

He shook his head. Will came bounding to the mouth of the cave. "I'll do it." He said. He walked up to Mrs. O'Leary and patted her on the nose. "Wake up, girl!" He said. She stood up and shook, which woke up her 3-headed friend. All three of the heads started growling at Will. Mrs. O'Leary let out a whimper, and Cerberus stopped growling. She bounded out of the cave, and we were in Antarctica in no time.

But the thing is, this place was not Antarctica. It was a beautiful, flat field of endless grass with the occasional patch of tulips. The only thing that told me we weren't in the fields of Asphodel was that the dead souls that littered the underworld had been replaced by penguins. Mrs. O'Leary fully enjoyed the feast. There was a beautiful birch table a few meters away from where I was standing with two marvelous women enjoying lunch. One of them was particularly distraught. I walked up to the women. "Lady Persephone?" I asked the sad one.

"What are you doing here, child?" She asked.

"We have come from Camp Half Blood… It has been getting quite hot, you see, and… well… we were kind of suspecting you." I told her. I hoped I hadn't offended her.

"Well, I guess you have some brains at that forsaken camp. Yes, I am heating the earth. Soon all you little mortals will boil at my might, and then the underworld will be flooded!" I didn't think a woman of her exquisiteness could laugh in the evil manner she did at that moment.

"Why, might I ask," started Orion, "Are you doing this?"

"Simple!" She said, "That no-good dirty scoundrel thought, 'Hey! I can cheat on my wife! She won't notice! It's just fine! She won't care _at all!_' That son of a…"

(Okay, so those weren't her exact words, but the story is rated T, so you will have to do with the summary!)

"Well… is there anything we can do to change your mind?" Asked Will. She looked thoughtful.

"Yes. I want to teach that Hades a lesson. I want to give him a taste of his own medicine. I want Aphrodite to find me the perfect match." She said.

"Deal." The three of us chorused.

**I recently recieved a comment about how Persephone was mad in this chapter. (***SPOILER TO PJO BOOKS***) I did it this way because it was the "final straw," if you will. If you remember how she felt about Bianca's mom it will make more sense. =)**


	9. Chapter 9

"Could we get a rainbow?" Asked Will, "We need to send a certain Love Goddess a message."

"Sure!" Said Persephone. She snapped her fingers, and it started drizzling. She snapped again a minute later to stop it, and a rainbow appeared.

"Thanks." Said Orion. I fished a golden coin out of my bag and chucked it into the rainbow. "Lady Iris, accept our offering. Please direct us to Lady Aphrodite on Mount Olympus." Orion asked. The scene changed, and we could see Aphrodite.

"Lady Aphrodite, we were…" I started

"I know what you want," she cut me off, "You want a love for Persephone. Trust me, we get quite bored up here. You're really our only source of entertainment. Anyway, I know the perfect person."

"Great! Who is it?" I asked.

She just laughed. "You think I'm gonna give you the name for free? Hah! You guys are funny. I'll tell you what: I'll tell you the man made for Persephone if you get me the must-have accessory of the season!"

"Umm… uhh… huh?" Asked Will. Both his and Orion's mouths were hanging open. Will was drooling a little.

"Hyppolyte's belt- duhh!" She said, seeming to understand Will's question.

"So wait, you want us to find us Hyppolyte's belt, and in return, you will tell us an appropriate man for Persephone?" I asked.

"That's what I just said…" She replied, and the Iris Message cut off.

"Well?" Said Persephone, "What are you waiting for? Go!" We glanced over at Mrs. O'Leary. The Penguin Massacre had subsided, and the tired dog had lain down to sleep.

"I don't think we should take her anywhere." I said, looking out for her health.

Persephone snapped her fingers again, and stairs appeared out of nowhere, leading into the earth. "It leads to the Underworld." She said.

I had no idea to get out of the Underworld if we took the stairs, but we decided to take the risk. We descended the stairs, but I decided at the last minute that it wasn't such a good idea. The others agreed. A trapdoor had shut behind us, though, and it took all of us pushing to escape. When we got back out, we weren't in Antarctica anymore. We were in a bustling airport. Hartsfield-Jackson International, the departure and arrival board told us.

"We need to go to Brazil," Said Will, "That's where the Amazons are."

"Why would we want to go see the Amazons?" Orion questioned.

"They have the belt. It was a gift from Artemis." I clarified.

"Right." He said. We walked over to Gate 33, which had a plane leaving for Brazil 2 hours from now, and asked if they had any tickets left.

"Sorry…" he said, "We only have one left." We looked at each other.

"You go." Will suggested.

"No, you go! You have more fighting experience. I'm just a bump on a log." I argued.

"It _is_ your quest, you know." Orion interjected.

"Fine." I said, "One ticket to Brazil."

I gave the boys hugs goodbye, and then panicked. I searched frantically in my bag until I realized that Chiron packed my passport and birth certificate. Thank God!

The flight was long and boring, and I had nothing to do but catch up on my sleeping. It seemed like I had been sitting on the plane for years before we reached Manaus Airport. I was just about to leave the airport when I wondered: where will I go? I heard a bump right behind me and turned around. A suitcase was… _moving._ I opened it up and inside was a living, breathing organism. It jumped out. "Zenia!" It said, "Thank God! I thought I was going to be trapped in there forever. Come on, let's go find Orion." It wasn't hard to find the yelling bag, and soon, the three of us were re-united.

"How did you guys…" I started.

"That's not important. Now come on, we have a world to save." Orion cut me off.

****PS- I REALLY REALLY REALLY appreciate all the comments you guys give me! It makes me do a little happy dance every time I get one. :) Thanks to all my fans so far! **


	10. Chapter 10

***THANKS FOR THE COMMENTS, EVERYONE! Really, I think that I burned a few calories with all the happy dancing I've been doing. Keep the comments coming! :)***

"So how are we going to find the Amazons?" I asked.

"Simple," Said Will, "All we have to do is follow the Amazon River. They'll be along that route."

"Okay," I said, "How do we get to the river?"

Will flagged down a taxi driver and within 2 hours we were at a small store on the banks of a huge river. He thanked the driver in a language I didn't understand and we headed into the store. There, Will bought a tent, a canoe, sleeping bags, and a bunch of food, as well as a water purifier.

"Where do we go now?" I asked after Will had put all of our stuff into the canoe.

"Downstream." He said sarcastically.

"There are thousands of mini rivers that lead off of the Amazon. How do you know which way to go?" I asked.

"Trust me, we'll know." He seemed pretty sure, so I trusted him.

We had to stop after about an hour, though, because the sun had already sunk over the horizon and it was dark. We all agreed that it was easier pitching a tent in the light. As we settled in to sleep, we heard clicking coming from outside.

"Locusts." Orion identified them, "Quick, get out of the tent. If they smell flesh, they'll consume it. Jump in the river!" We ran out of the tent and flipped the canoe over. We took it into the water and stayed under it to breathe. The locusts were trying to penetrate the wood, but to no avail. The river was frigid, but somehow, we all stayed warm. My ring and charm bracelet seemed to be radiating heat.

"Goddess of the Hearth," Will observed, but said nothing more.

We stayed under there for at least an hour, until all the clicking had subsided. We looked up and assessed the damage through the limited sight we had. My ring was glowing a little, making it easier to see. They had torn apart our tent, but the sleeping bags were still in tact. We still had our money and ambrosia and water purifier. We decided that, from then on, we would have one person stay up at all times and keep watch for danger. I didn't get much sleep that night, anyway.

When the sun finally said hello, we were already moving. We had put everything on the boat and started down the river. The current was very slow here, so it seemed like forever.

One day passed.

Two days.

Three days.

Four.

But on the fifth day, we saw something interesting in the bushes. It was a totally red deer with bronze hooves and gold horns. "The Hind of Ceryneia." Will said, "Follow it." So we abandoned our canoe and started our trek into the woods.


	11. Chapter 11

She walked slowly, which was nice. I didn't want to have to run, especially because I was not in good shape. We carried all our stuff on our backs as we walked right behind her. She didn't seem to mind us, stopping to glance at us once in a while, as if making sure we were still with her. The sun was setting on the horizon when she finally stopped walking. She started munching on some berries, and we did the same. I broke off a piece of ambrosia and held it out to her. She took it. I stroked her face and she closed her eyes. She acted like a kitten, curling up next to me and dozing off. Orion stroked her back.

"She's beautiful." He observed.

"She is," Will agreed, "She is a gift from Artemis. She is leading us to the Amazon hunters, the original hunters of Artemis."

While the boys chatted, I started a fire. Being by the hearth was a weird feeling for me- like I could either curl up and take a nap, or fight a war. I was just about to fall asleep when the flame crackled and my mother walked out of it. Her dress seemed to be made of fire, but in a calming way. She sat down next to me. The deer woke up, walked away from the snoozing boys and over to my mother, lied down, and put her head on my mothers lap. She petted her head. "How did you ever find her?" Asked my mother, "It has been many a century since I have seen her about. I wonder how she got over the Atlantic."

"She found us, actually. She wanted us to follow her." I replied.

"I see. It seems she has taken quite a liking to you." She said. The deer had fallen asleep, and was almost purring. She was a marvelous beast.

"That's cool." I said.

"It's more than cool," she pointed out, "She is The Hide, and she has bonded with you. It would take a force of God to separate you two now."

"So, she's like my animal stalker?" I asked.

My mother chuckled. "Yes, like your animal stalker. Speaking of stalkers, have you gotten to use my gift yet?" She asked.

"No." I replied.

"Good. I would like to keep it that way, but sadly, your time will come. You will have to be brave or be dead." She warned.

I sighed. "It can never be easy, can it?"

"Nope. But don't worry. The gods are on your side. You will be fine. I'll talk to Chiron about getting a martial arts course if- when you come back."

I smiled. "Thanks, mom." I gave her a hug, and she walked back into the flames. I lay down to rest, and The Hide lay right down next to me. "I like you." I whispered. She nuzzled me. "I'll call you Philana- a friend." She did her weird purr thing and fell asleep. The embers were slowly dying, and I drifted into sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

I awoke the next morning to a cold, wet nose nuzzling me awake. I opened my eyes and Philana was nudging my face. _We must get moving._ Said a voice in my head.

"Philana?" I asked, "Was that you?"

_Yes._ Her voice filled my mind; _We share an empathy link now. _

"Like Percy Jackson and Grover?" I asked, citing the most famous (and only) pair I knew of.

_Hmm… No, more like Percy Jackson and his flying horse._ She said. I vaguely remembered seeing the only black Pegasus in the stables.

"Right." I said, "I'll get the others up." I walked over to where the boys were sleeping, but there was only one lump. I kicked it.

He snapped up. "Woah!" Orion said, "Don't do that!"

"Sorry, but we have to move. Where's Will?"

Orion looked around. "I don't know…"

"We have to look for him!" I exclaimed.

_No,_ said Philana, _It's no use. He's been abducted. _

"By _who_? And how do you know?" I asked.

_I don't know. One of the gods, I know that for sure. Her scent is everywhere. _

"Who are you talking to?" Orion asked.

"Philana." I answered.

"Philana?"

"That's The Hind's name. I named her. It means friend."

"So you're _talking_ to the _animal_." He said. Philana stamped the ground.

"I can talk to her. We formed an empathy-link type thing." I explained, "And I named her Philana, because she was so friendly."

"Right. I'm sorry, Philana."

_Apology accepted. _I translated.

"Right. Well, we had better get moving. Philana, if you would please lead the way." I proposed.

_Of course._ And she started on her way.

"So how do you know where the Amazons are?" I asked.

_It's an internal censor. I can feel their presence getting closer or further, like a game of Hot or Cold. _She told me.

"That's really cool. So how are we going to get the belt from them? If it's such a sacred object, I doubt they're just going to hand it over." I said.

_On the contrary, young adventurer, _she said, _they aren't stupid. They will give you the belt if you say that the gods have sent you. You could point out the heat, too._

"Hmm… it seems really easy. There's gotta be a catch." I said, wary of any schemes.

_Yes, it seems there always is some kind of inconvenience you adventurers have a knack for getting yourselves into._

I laughed. "Are we getting close?" I asked.

_Very,_ she replied, _in fact-_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Screamed a chorus of women. My feet were soon ensnared and hoisted up above my head, and Orion and I were dangling upside-down from our feet 5 feet above the earth.

"Who goes there?!" Shouted an angry woman, coming out of the bushes. A horde of other women followed, bows at the ready.


	13. Chapter 13

"I am Zenia, daughter of Hestia, on a quest from the gods!" I shouted, hoping to sound like some kind of hero instead of a cowering little girl with all the blood rushing to my head.

"And I am Orion, son of Apollo, aiding Zenia on her quest." He identified himself.

"And why are you here exactly?" Asked the head woman.

"We have come to fetch the Hyppolyte's belt for her Lady Aphrodite." Orion said.

A chorus of laughter arose from the women. "And why do you think you are worthy of such a belt? It was a gift from a god, you know." Asked the main woman.

_The heat,_ said Philana.

"Have you noticed the heat lately?" Murmurs arose among the crowd. "It's because Hades cheated on Persephone, and now she is making it hot until she finds a man to give her husband a taste of his own medicine. She wants him to be perfect, though, so we have enlisted the help of Aphrodite, goddess of love."

"How do I know you are telling me the truth?" She asked. Philana came out of the bushes and put her nose on mine.

"'Tis the hind!" A woman shouted. Everyone gasped and fell down, bowing to the deer.

"Oh, sweet hind, please forgive me for doubting your friend!" Exclaimed the leader, "Alcina! Release our guests at once!"

Alcina rushed up to where we were hanging and cut us free. We landed with a thud, but were uninjured, except for a rope burn around my ankle.

We all started marching. "My name is Klaus," Said the leader, "And I lead the Amazons. Are you children familiar with Artemis's hunters?"

"They fought with us in Manhattan last year when the titans tried to take over Olympus." Orion remembered.

"Shush, boy!" Klaus said, "I was speaking to the girl."

"My name is Zenia." I said, "And yes, I have heard of them."

"Well, we are the original hunters. You see, long ago, Artemis created us to forever purge this forest of evil. Keeping monsters at bay has been our mission ever since we were spawned. But then, no more than two and a half thousand years ago, she decided that she needed a group that could travel, so she made a new one. They travel around the world, saving people, while we guard the place of the Evil Eye."

"The place of the Evil Eye?" Asked Orion. Klaus ignored him.

"The place of the Evil Eye?" I asked.

"Yes, the Evil Eye. It is where misfortunes are created. Within a twenty-mile radius of our camp is where evils spring up and go to terrorize the world. We kill what we can." She replied.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Anytime anyone gets sick, falls down a mountain, betrays a loved one is something that the Evil Eye has sent. He only sends bad things to the world. It is our job to stop as much as we possibly can." Said Klaus

"Wow," said Orion, "That wasn't in the history books."

"Would you please tell your little man-friend to hold his tongue in the presence of a woman?" Klaus exclaimed.

"She wants you to be quiet." I told Orion. He rolled his eyes.

"We're almost there." Klaus said.

But I was totally not expecting what I next saw. We were soon standing in front of a huge, elaborate white palace.

"Oh. My. God."


	14. Chapter 14

It looked like the Supreme Court building, only more intricate. Vines were scattered here and there, but it still looked lived-in and new. There was a garden in the front, complete with fountains and statues.

"It's beautiful!" I exclaimed.

"Thank you." Klaus said, "This is where we stay every winter."

"So you don't stay here all the time?!" I asked. I was shocked that anybody would ever want to leave this place.

"We have palaces all across the Amazon rainforest. We move around a lot." She explained.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because the Evil Eye follows us everywhere we go. We cannot stop all the sadness, obviously, so we like to give the neighboring tribes a break. If we stayed in one place all the time, everyone in the neighboring tribes would be either sick or dead." Klaus said.

"I see." I replied.

"Well, come in, then. We will give you a room for your stay. You can't leave right away." She said.

"Why?" I asked again.

"Because we need you. You are part of our prophecy." She responded, sounding calm.

"What prophecy is this?" I asked. I hoped I didn't have to do anything crazy.

"Just come inside and get situated, I'll explain to you tonight. We cannot speak the words of the prophecy during daylight." Klaus said.

She led me inside, and it was just as beautiful. When I walked in, there was a huge room with a fountain in the middle. There were potted plants everywhere, as well as around 20 cats running around and sleeping on luxurious benches. It was three stories high, and there were about 25 doors on each floor. Each floor had a balcony overlooking the front place, like a hotel.

"This is stunning!" I said.

"I'm glad you like it. Now come, child, let me get you situated." Klaus led me into a room off of the first floor along with Philana. "This is where you will stay. Please make yourself welcome to explore. Be at the dinner hall by sundown, though." And she left, leaving Philana and me in the beautiful room together.

It was amazing. It looked like the bedroom of the Imperial suite in the Ritz Hotel in Paris. The whole place radiated luxury. The bed was bigger than a king sized, and it was soft as ever. There was a sitting area, a huge bookshelf covered in literature, and a bathroom that my entire bedroom back at home would have fit inside.

"It's spectacular!" I said, flopping down on the bed.

_It is quite the sight,_ said Philana.

"Have you ever been here?" I asked.

_No, I have not. The Amazons have been tracking me for centuries, but we have never had the luck to cross paths. _

"Oh, wow! So this is, like, huge for them?"

_You have no idea._

I lit a fire in the fireplace and Philana spent the day reading me ancient tomes about the history of the Amazons. Their history was rich and amazing.

I was pulled from the story by a knocking on the door. I opened it. "Hello, miss Zenia. I am Atlanta, and I am here to escort you to dinner."

_It means a swift runner._ Philana translated, sensing that I was confused that she was named after the city.

Atlanta helped me wiggle into a beautiful white toga with gold trim and a gold sash. She braided my hair around my head and led me into the dining room. It was a long stone table that looked like the ancient Greeks ate at it. They probably did. I took my seat at a stone chair, and I was served capybara. Atlanta and I made small talk about the cats in the entryway, which were apparently ocelots seeking refuge, until Klaus walked in. We stood to greet her. She was wearing white and red and gold robes, tied with a gold rope belt. It was weird seeing everyone wearing so much after they were so scantily dressed in the woods. I tried not to be worried about the fact that Orion was not present. She took her seat.

"Good evening, everyone. In case you have not yet heard the news, Zenia, woman of the prophecy, has finally come." She said. There was wild cheering, and I became to be more curious than ever as to what this prophecy was.


	15. Chapter 15

"Go ahead and eat, and when it is dark outside, we shall talk of the prophecy." She said. A few men in dirty clothes ran in and lit torches on the walls.

I talked to Atlanta during dinner. Apparently she was a demigod, too. She was the daughter of Ares, and she was 5,021 years old, though she looked no older than 18.

"When did you join the Amazons?" I asked.

"I was born into them. My mother died when I was born, though, so the tribe raised me. I'm part of them now." She replied.

"Did your mother name you?" I asked.

"No. The tribe named me. You don't get a name here until you kill an enemy in battle. I killed my first person by dodging all their arrows and jabbing them with a spear." She seemed really proud. Her eyes were glowing with fire, as if remembering the chase. I shifted uneasily.

"I'm Hestia's daughter," I said, trying to dodge the subject.

"Yes, we know. You are her first daughter ever. That's why you're the girl of the prophecy." She said. It was her turn to start shifting.

"The sun has gone down, I think you can speak of it now." I said, trying to calm her. She looked nervous.

"No, I can't. It's Klaus's job. Don't worry, though, she'll tell you pretty soon."

In fact, that very minute, Klaus got up and the room went silent. "My fellow Amazons and guest," she started, "Thank you for attending tonight. The time has now come when the prophecy is to be read and told to Zenia, daughter of Hestia. For thousands of years, we have been searching for the one who comes with the Hind." Everyone glanced over at Philana, who was sitting on a beautiful dog bed with women stroking and brushing her. "She has come now, and we shall rejoice. But it shall be short-lived, as you will go on your journey soon. I shall now read our prophecy."

She took out an ancient tome, and it had to be more than a thousand pages. "You can't possibly read that all aloud by nightfall!" Said a woman. She was shushed.

"I will _summarize_ the prophecy, as the full moon is only three days away. First, I will tell you what you are to retrieve. You must find the Girdle of Hyppolyte. It was lost when Hercules stole it, but someone else now possesses it. Next, you must retrieve the sword at which Helene was killed by Achilles. Finally, you will find the wedding ring of Antiope, the only Amazon to ever marry. Luckily for you, young hero, they are all in the same place. You will, however, have to fight to get there. The one who guards it is one of the most vicious of beasts- the Teumessian Fox." Nervous murmurs erupted. "_Silence!_" Klaus instructed before continuing, "You are to kill him with nothing but your body- that means no weapons. You will have to out wit and out fight the fox with the aid of only your mind. You will bring the objects back here, and in return, you will be allowed to keep the Girdle of Hyppolyte. Do you accept this challenge?" She asked.

I was guessing I didn't have much of a choice. "I do." She nodded in approval.

"Then this assembly is dismissed. Zenia, your training will start tomorrow." She said, and everyone got up and filed out.

Atlanta led me to my room with Philana. "Will you stay? I doubt I will be able to sleep." I asked

"Of course! Anything for the one of the prophecy." She said dutifully.

"You don't have to be a maid, you know. I just wanted to someone to talk to." I said. Philana snorted.

"Sure." She said. We closed the door and the three of us sat down on the bed.

"Do you know these objects that you are to find?" Atlanta asked.

"I think so- Hyppolyte's belt was stolen by Hercules a few bajillion years ago because the queen thought he was attractive." I started. Atlanta closed her eyes and sighed.

"He certainly was." She said, smiling. I giggled.

"Anyway, I'm guessing it didn't go into good hands." I said.

"You're right. It went into the hands of some vain, evil princess. It was put to better use with a sword being carried by it, not an ugly princesses fat." She said, scowling.

"Yes, well, the sword that Achilles used to kill Helene- that was lost?" I asked. Spending a day reading up on Amazon history certainly came in handy.

"Yes. He threw it away after he found out that the person he had killed fair Helene in the Trojan War…" She trailed off. A tear slid down her cheek.

"You knew her." I assumed.

"I did know her. I knew lady Helene very well. She was a brave and honorable woman. That is why she is famous among us Amazons. We all strive to be as strong and fast and cunning as her." She was lost in her memories.

"You were good friends with her?"

"Yes. She was the best friend anyone could ever be. I just wish I could have stopped her from leaving the tribe. You know why she did it, right?" She asked.

"Didn't she accidentally kill her sister?" I asked.

"She did. She deserved it though. Her sister betrayed us. Helene would never… She just wouldn't…" She was all red now, and the tears flowed like rivers. "I just wish I could have told her." I hugged her, and she buried her head into my neck. I felt like her mother, sitting there, striking the fact that she was around 5,000 years older than me. Philana touched her nose to Atlanta's cheek in sympathy. She calmed herself and let go of me. "I'm sorry, it's just… after all these years, you would think that I would get over it. But it's not true! Every time I think of her, all the memories come flooding back. I'm sorry for breaking down in front of you."

"It's okay. Everyone does it sometimes." I explained.

She nodded. "Back to your task. You know the wedding ring?"

"Isn't Antiope the only Amazon to ever get married?"

"She was. She was the lucky one."

"What, you guys aren't allowed to fall in love?" I asked.

"We are, it's just that we're all immortal and men, well, they can't be Amazons, so you have to find a new love every time your man passes away. A heart can only take so much breakage." She explained.

"So why not just fall in love with some immortal? There are a bunch of single minor gods." I said.

She laughed. "Easier said than done. Besides, I did fall in love with someone like me… can only die in battle."

I sighed. "Died in battle?"

She nodded. "It's okay, though. You really should get some rest. I'll be four doors to the left if you need me. Your training starts tomorrow."

"Goodnight." I wished. She wished the same and left.

_Some discussion_. Philana said, but I was already dozing off.


	16. Chapter 16

I woke up the next morning to the sound of water outside my window. I had failed to notice last night that my room was next to a stream. Philana was already reading by the time I got up. It was funny to watch her try to flip pages with her hooves.

_Hey, I heard that!_ She said.

"Heard what?" I asked.

_You were laughing at me._ She said.

"I was not!" I said.

_I read the emotion of humor off of you. You didn't need to laugh out loud._ She said.

"Sorry about that…" I said.

_No matter. I was just so eager to read. I haven't read in ages!_ She certainly sounded excited. _Oh, and, you are wanted in the dining hall._

"Okay." I said. I walked out into the commonplace where the ocelots were playing with each other or napping under the sun streaming in from the giant window on the ceiling. I entered the dining hall, and Atlanta immediately ran up to me, seized my hand, and planted me down at a seat next to hers. I smiled as I closed my eyes and inhaled the aroma of a beautiful breakfast. A man, the first one I have seen here, rushed up to me and put a plate heaping with food in front of me. It was wonderful. I felt at home because of the scrambled eggs on the middle of my plate. I assumed that they weren't from a chicken, but it was close enough. There was sliced mystery meat that looked exquisite and chunks of fruit that I could not name. I tried not to look at the array of bugs on my plate as I scarfed down my meal.

"You were hungry!" Atlanta commented as the server boy took my plate away.

"Yeah, I guess it's nice to have some real food in my stomach!" I said. She laughed.

"Well, you should take a few minutes to digest before you start your martial art training. You are good at martial arts, aren't you?" She asked.

"Well…. Truth is, I never really tried. My mother came to me, though, a few days ago. She told me to try it." I admitted.

"At least you have some natural talent. Here, I'll show you where you'll be training." She said. We got up and left the building. When we had walked half a mile through an exotic rainforest path, we were left in a clearing. There was nothing there.

"So this is where I'll be-" But I was cut off by a wicked screaming from the trees. Before I knew it, a woman was leaping out of the canopy, straight towards me. I turned to Atlanta, but she looked just as surprised as I was. The woman was about to land on me, but I put my hands up and pushed her to the side. She landed with a _thud_. She sprung up, though, dagger drawn. She was barreling towards me, determination blaring in her eyes. Before she could react, I reached out and knocked the dagger out of her hands before using my left leg to come around and knock her to the ground. I grabbed her hair and fought off any attempts to grab me. She stopped struggling.

"Good job!" She said. She kicked me off of her with an extreme burst of strength. "I'm Daphne, and I'll be your trainer for the next three days. You've got a lot to learn."


	17. Chapter 17

By the time the sun was setting, I was covered in bruises and cuts and scrapes. My body looked like a failed art project. "You did good, hotshot!" Said Daphne, giving me a playful punch to the arm. I fell to the ground, but a rock blocked my fall. Joy of joys. I wanted to fall asleep right there on the ground, but my hunger drove me foreword to camp, my arms draped around my friends' shoulders.

"How am I supposed to fight a giant, man-eating fox like this?" I asked, looking at my legs. It was a wonder they were still moving.

"You're the daughter of Hestia, right?" Asked Atlanta, who had stayed all day to watch my training.

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?" I asked.

"You'll find out when we get you back home." She replied. I liked the word 'home.'

After stumbling half a mile through the woods, seeing my home was like a dream come true. Klaus greeted me at the front door. "Good evening," She said, "Come inside, we have your dinner all ready." I walked into the building, and the chill hit me like a wall. It was obviously either air-conditioned or magical. Either way, I was sure that I never wanted to go outside again.

"We need to get you washed up first." Said Atlanta. I wanted to protest, but she had already led me into a back room and plopped me into a bathtub the size of a pool. The water stung my cuts, but it felt good after awhile. After I was dirt-free, she set me by the hearth. It felt warm and calming, and my cuts on the side that faced the fire started to fade. Atlanta smiled. "So it is true."

"What's true?"

"You're the daughter of Hestia," She explained, "Which means fire is good for you. I want to try something." She took my hand and, before I knew it, it was enveloped in flames… but I wasn't burning.

"Woah!" I said, and the flames crawled up my arms, healing the bruises and scars along the way. Atlanta let go of me and stepped back, watching in awe. When they finally dwindled to nothing, I was covered in ash. I felt energized.

"That was amazing!" Said Atlanta, "I've never seen anything like that- and look, you're not even burned!" She dunked me in the pool much to my dismay, and I returned unscarred by flames. I was clean as ever. She gave me a towel to dry off and instructed that I be in the dining hall as soon as possible. I went back to my room to get dressed to find Philana lying on the bed.

_Greetings. Rumor has it that someone around here is quite the natural at ass kicking._ She said.

"Look who's learned some slang!" I said, giggling.

_You're not the only one can keep up with the times, sister._ She said. That made me laugh even harder. _They request you at the dining hall. They want you to wear this._ She pointed a long red piece of cloth and a golden rope.

"Umm…" I started, but Philana helped me get it on. It was quite a nice robe, to be honest. I walked into the dining hall, and everyone was already enjoying their food. Atlanta patted the empty seat next to her. Philana sat on her regal dog bed while she munched away at her salad.

"Tomorrow," Daphne said from the other side of me, "You'll do some field training."

"What's that?" I asked. I hoped that didn't mean fighting giant, man-eating foxes.

"You're going to help us defend the world from monsters of the Evil Eye," She explained, "They come day and night. You'll come on the morning shift. It starts just before sunrise, so you'll have to get up early!"

"Oh, joy. I love getting up early." I remarked. Daphne laughed.

"Don't worry, it's amazing practice. You get to fight giant anteaters and monkeys! Sound fun?" Atlanta asked.

"Fun was not the word I was looking for, but I would be glad to come." I said. They chuckled.

"You had better get to bed," Daphne said, "It's going to be a long day tomorrow." I yawned in agreement, and walked back to my room with Philana.

**Hey, people! It's me again. -^w^- Just wanted to give you all a pop quiz... **

**Q: What does Lauren do when she gets lots of comments on her story? **

**A) Jumps up and down in happiness **

**B) Rushes to MS Word document to write another Chapter **

**C) Neglects all homework until chapter is done **

**D) ALL OF THE ABOVE. **

**(In case you were wondering, the answer is D.) **

**Seriously! I love comments! Thanks for reading so far! I'll have the next chapter up by tomorrow. :)**


	18. Chapter 18

I woke up the next morning to Philana nuzzling my face. I shot up. "Woah!" I said, "Your nose is cold!" She gave a little snort-laugh.

_Sorry, but you were going to be late. We're leaving in an hour. _She said

"I'm not ready yet!" I protested. I got up and took of the robe I still had on from last night. "What am I wearing?"

_That._ She said, pointing towards the armor stand.

"That's just some rags." I replied.

_Exactly. You can't use clothing to your advantage. You have to beat the fox with the aid of _nothing_. _She said.

I sighed and shimmied into my outfit. "So how am I to kill this fox?" I asked as I walked out into the commonplace.

_Well_, said Philana, _Zeus created a dog that was destined to catch it, but the fox was too cunning, so he turned them both to stone._

"In case you haven't noticed, I can't turn things to stone." I said. She did her snort-laugh again.

I tried my best to stomach my breakfast, because my eggs tasted a little funny and I was pretty sure I found a hunk of a beetle in it. I asked Atlanta what exactly we would be doing.

"We will be freeing the Evil Eye from their animal hosts." She explained.

"How are we supposed to do that?" I asked.

"Easy!" She said, "You have to gouge their eyes out, then put them in the River Phlegethon."

"Gross! With your bare hands?!" It sounded totally nasty.

"Of course! If you used a weapon on them, the Evil Eye would escape instantly. This way, the Evil Eye stays encapsulated in, well, the eye." She said.

"Does the animal live?" I asked

"Well, most of the time. If you don't remove the eye just right, the Evil Eye will get stuck in their body, and you will have to kill it. Ocelots don't grow their eyes back, so they stay here for the rest of their lives." She said.

"That's horrible!" I exclaimed.

"It's better than the Evil Eye. Should it escape, around 10 people will die, and 100 more will suffer misfortune." She said

"Oh, well, if you put it that way…" I started.

"Hey, no pressure! You'll do fine." She said.

"I thought that the Amazons were famous for spears and bows and arrows and stuff like that… why wrestling?" I asked.

"We don't _just_ fight animals, you know. Sometimes we have to fight neighboring tribes. They don't always welcome us with open arms." Said Atlanta.

"I see…" I started, but Klaus cut me off.

"It is time to leave! Let's go, everyone!" She shouted. Everyone stood up, and we were running out of the building.

It felt like I had been running forever, but I was not tired at all. The sun was breaking over the horizon by the tie we slowed down.

"_Zenia_," Atlanta whispered, "_That one's yours._" I shook my head vigorously, but I looked into the brush anyway. There was a little, bright orange monkey scratching at the ground. Atlanta nudged me foreword, and I leapt onto it. It let out a horrible, bone-shattering scream and clawed at my arms. Its eyes were pure black and oozing black goop. "Claw them out!" Atlanta screeched. I closed my eyes and did as I was told. I tried not to feel the squishiness or listen to the tortured wails of the little creature. I dropped the eyes to the ground, but Atlanta caught them. "Don't let them touch the ground." She said. She tucked them into her bag.

"That wasn't bad for a first time!" Daphne praised, patting me on the back. She handed me a rag so I could wipe off the goo.

"That was disgusting." I said, "Why do you need so many people here just to take down a pint-sized monkey?"

Atlanta chuckled. "That monkey was just the beginning. Wait until we get to the jaguars." She said.

I gulped. "Jaguars?"

**P.S. No, I haven't forgotten about Orion ;)**


	19. Chapter 19

Two long hours of tracking later, we finally saw a baby jaguar. "_It's so cute!_" I whispered, but Atlanta clamped her hand over my mouth. The mother jaguar was standing over her child. She had normal eyes. The child didn't. I sighed. I glanced over at Klaus, who was making hand signs. The other girls moved into position. Three… Two… One… There was a shout, followed by another. The jaguar mother snapped her head around so she was facing away from me. The baby stopped playing and dove between the mother's legs. The mother sprung to attack, and I swooped in and grabbed the child without her knowing. It didn't take long for her to notice, though, because the child in my arms was making the loudest, most miserable screams I have ever heard.

"You were amazing out there," Said Atlanta as we settled into the dinner table after I had thoroughly washed my hands.

"Thanks!" I said genuinely. I really liked it here.

"Tomorrow you will just do normal martial arts training." She said.

"And what of the next day?" I asked. She became stiff. "Oh, right…" I said. I looked for a way to change the subject. "Do you know where Orion is? I haven't seen him since we've gotten here!"

"Oh, _him._ You man-friend is fine. I had to do a lot of convincing to let him live, though. Men aren't very well-liked here." She explained.

"So where is he?"

"He's in the dungeon."

"The _dungeon_?! You put him in the _dungeon_? Why? He never did anything!" I exclaimed.

"He is a _man_, Zenia. Men belong in the dungeon." She said.

"That's the most sexist thing I ever heard." I said. Atlanta laughed.

"You'll come to your senses. Anyway, you are going to have a huge day tomorrow, so you should get some rest. Do you want me to come with you?" She asked.

"No, I'm good. Good night!" I said. She wished me good night and Philana and I walked back to our room.

"How could they keep him in a _dungeon_?" I asked.

_These people aren't very accepting of men. You're lucky they let him live._ She explained.

"That's disgusting!"

_It's life._

I sighed. "I'm so glad I'm not immortal."

Philana shifted uneasily. _Why's that?_

"I don't want to be like an Amazon: always searching for love that will just die after a few years." I felt sad for Atlanta.

Philana paused. _I think you need to get to sleep._

I couldn't really resist. I was really tired after the day of hunting. As soon as my eyes were closed I was out.

I woke up late the next morning. I guessed it was around ten in the morning. I yawned and stretched to find that I had a beautiful, bug-free breakfast laid out for me. I ate it all hungrily.

_You were hungry._ Philana commented.

"Today's a big day." I replied. The day I would risk my life to save the world.

_Well, you had better go see Klaus and Atlanta. They want a private audience with you and me._ She said. She led me outside to a secluded hut in the forest.

"Come in," Said Klaus, "We have been expecting you." It reminded me of when I first came to Camp Half-Blood. I forced a smile, and Atlanta gave me a sympathetic look.

"We have reviewed the material and found some good news," Atlanta said, "You will be able to take something in with you."

"What? What can I take?" I pressed.

"You can take any gift from your mother, and that's all. Did your mother give you any gifts?" Klaus asked.

"Yes! She did! She gave me this charm bracelet and this ring. The bracelet turns into a pair of knives, and the ring… Well, I don't know what the ring does, but Hestia gave it to me all the same." I said, excited.

Klaus and Atlanta started whispering to each other. After some time, Atlanta looked at me.

"You will take your ring with you into the lair of the fox." She stated flatly.

"What? It doesn't do anything! Why?" I asked.

"You don't know what it does. It _could_ do a lot." Klaus said.

"Yeah, but it _could_ do absolutely nothing." I said.

"Hestia will not let you down. You will take your ring." Klaus said sternly.

"But…" I started, but Klaus cut me off.

"It also says no weapons, which means no bracelet." She said. I huffed, but was secretly thankful that at least I got to take some piece of home with me.

I spent the rest of the day sitting with Atlanta and Philana and writing a very long letter to my family. Atlanta promised that, should I not return, she would ensure it makes it to my parents. I also made her swear to take Orion back to Camp Half Blood. I could tell that she was trying not to break down in front of me. Daphne came after a few hours to warn us of dinner.

"You go to dinner. I have to go get something done." Atlanta stated. I was about to ask what, but she had already scurried out.

I ate dinner in silence. Afterwards, I was stripped of my clothes and decorated fully in war paint. I gave my bracelet to Daphne for safekeeping. "If I don't make it back, give those to my real mother." I instructed. She nodded.

We took an hour-long hike to the river, where everyone formed a line on the banks. I stood next to Klaus, but Atlanta was nowhere to be seen. Daphne put her hand on my shoulder. "Good luck, kid." She said. Then everyone raised their hands to the water and began chanting in a low, even tone. The ground trembled and the river started to ripple. The ripples turned into waves, and there was soon a whirlpool. It grew larger and larger until the hole in the middle was large enough to swallow a person. A path of dry land erupted from the river, leading into the hole. I stepped on it to find it sturdy, and then took another step. The water didn't seem to disturb my war paint. I kept walking slowly until I reached the hole. I looked into the darkness, closed my eyes, and jumped.


	20. Chapter 20

There was damp undergrowth underneath my bare feet, and I couldn't see a thing. There were no natural sounds, but I could hear a chorus of clocks. _Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Tick, tock._ They said without shame. It started getting lighter, though the sun was nowhere in sight. _Tick, tock. Tick, tock._ The clocks continued. I could now make out that I was in a forest: a twisted, cruel forest. The trees were very tall and growing in odd angles. The green was too blue to be considered natural. The proportions were cartoonish. There were clocks everywhere: ingrained into the trees, freestanding grandfather clocks, hanging from branches, protruding from the ground. I walked along the path, but the trees and clocks never ended. In fact, no matter how far I walked, I always ended up in the same place- like I was walking in a circle, but the path was straight. I sat down on a chair-sized mushroom to try and get my head straight.

An ocelot without any eyes emerged from the ground. "Hello." It said.

"Umm… Hello?" I said, utterly confused.

"Goodbye."

"Wait!" I plead, "Don't go."

"I have to." It said.

"Why?"

"My time on earth is up." It said. It started to shake.

"Please don't go!" I said. The ocelot opened his mouth, and an eyeless toucan climbed out. "Wait, how did you…" But the ocelot had sunk into the ground.

"Hello there." I said.

"Hello there." He replied.

"Can you tell me what's happening?" I asked.

"Can you tell me what's happening?" He echoed.

"You aren't very useful, are you?" I asked.

"You aren't very…" He started coughing and hacking. An eyeless anaconda head made its way out of his beak, followed by his long body. I found this rather strange, seeing as an anaconda could never fit inside a tiny bird.

"What's happening?" I asked.

"Well," Said the anaconda, "That was rude. I usually prefer a greeting."

"Oh, excuse me. Hello."

"Greetings. I am an anaconda." He said.

"Yes, I figured that." I replied coldly.

"Hmm… well, aren't you the smart one? When did you get here?" He asked.

"Just a few minutes ago." I said.

"That's impossible. According to my calculations, you got here exactly two hours ago." He said.

"That's not true."

"It is according to that clock." He pointed with his nose to a clock in the middle of a flower, ticking very quickly.

"That clock is going too fast." I explained.

"Is it? Or is your mind going too slow?" He questioned.

I thought about this for a minute… or was it two? "That clock is going much faster than the others. And besides- how do you see without eyes?" I asked.

"Who says that I see?" He asked.

"You did. You pointed me to the clock over there." I replied.

"I most certainly did not." He said.

"You did so! And why do you keep changing?" I asked.

"I don't keep changing. It's just that so many animals keep dying. My time will come pretty soon." He seemed calm about that.

"No! Please don't go!" I exclaimed.

"I can't help it. Everything dies." He explained.

"That's not true. Immortals don't die." I justified.

"Exactly."

"What do you mean?"

"Tell me, what is your greatest fear?"

I thought about that for a moment. "Spiders." I finally said, "Spiders and failing my homework."

"What about spiders?"

"My biggest fear."

"Why are you telling me your biggest fear?"

"Because you just asked me!"

"No I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"Why would I ask you your greatest fear? I've only known you for a few seconds." He said.

"No, you haven't. You've known me for at least five minutes." I said.

"Not according to that clock." He pointed his head towards a clock nestled in a tree. It was ticking very slowly. I sighed.

"So where am I?"

"You are in the fox's lair."

"Why are there clocks everywhere?"

"It's your greatest fear."

"It is not! I have nothing against clocks. They are very useful." I said, getting rather angry.

"What about clocks?"

"You're hopeless!" I exclaimed.

"Why?" He asked.

"Oh, forget it!" I shouted, getting up off of my mushroom. It had since turned into a clock.

"That's not likely. I'm a snake, and you know the saying. 'Anacondas never forget!'" He exclaimed.

"_Elephants_ never forget. _Anacondas_ forget quite a bit." I said.

"How did we get on the subject of anacondas?" He asked.

"You're crazy!" I exclaimed.

"I wish I was an anaconda…" He started humming a tune before he sunk into the ground, leaving me all alone. He sprung out of a tree. "Wait, did you say 'crazy' or 'a daisy'?" He asked.

"I said you were crazy. As in insane. You are not right in the head." I said.

"Good. Daisies make me itch. Goodbye." He started to shiver and a jaguar emerged from his mouth. It, too, had no eyes.

"Oh, brother!" I said, exasperated.

"You have a brother?" Asked the jaguar.

"No, I don't have a brother." I replied.

"Oh, okay then. I didn't think you did." He said.

I paused. "What's your greatest fear?" I asked.

"I don't have any. My life is too short to fear." He replied.

"That's too bad." I said. A sudden gust of wind came and my jaguar friend turned to dust and was swept away. "Goodbye…" I wished him. That's when it struck me. The clocks. The friends being born and dying. My greatest fear is immortality. No matter, though, seeing as I wasn't immortal. I kept on walking on my never-ending path for about an hour. (Or was it a minute? Or a second?) I decided that it was getting me nowhere and strayed off the path. The trees grew shorter and shorter until I could eventually see over them. I saw an expanse of treetops and a cave in the distance. I ran towards the cave. The treetops changed color as I ran, and the tops were now at my waist. When I got to the cave, the entrance was about as large as the Whitehouse. I heard the scream of a woman coming from the inside. I was about to turn and run when I saw the woman come barreling out, panic spread across her face. It was a face I recognized. It was Atlanta.


	21. Chapter 21

I stood there for a moment, frozen in fear. That one moment, though, was all it took for the trees to grow inhumanly tall. The clocks had grown eyes and were staring me down, but all I could think about was following Atlanta. The ground rippled beneath my feet like the ocean, but I kept running. And running. And running. Finally, Atlanta collapsed on the ground. "Atlanta!" I said, running up next to her and putting my arm on her shoulder. She was holding a huge gash on her side.

"It's the fox…" She stammered, "He knows your biggest fear. He will project it into your mind and make it a reality in his lair. He knows… He knows everything." She heaved and shook until she started throwing up small spiders. I waited until she was done.

"Why are you here?" I asked. My voice was shaking.

"I wanted to… to protect you…" She said. It took all of her power. "From the prophecy…"

"What do you mean? How can you protect me from the prophecy?" I asked.

She struggled for breath now. "It said in plain Greek that the hero would die. You were such a great friend to me, and I didn't want to accept it. I tried to change the prophecy, and I…" She struggled again. "I am suffering the consequences." I started crying. When I wiped my eyes, I found out they were tears of blood.

"You can't leave! You are my best friend!" I said, taking her hands.

She fought for a smile. "You are my best friend, too. It's not your time to go, Zenia. I'm going to be with my Helene." She looked into the distance. "I'm going to be with my Helene… My Helene…"

"No!" I screamed hysterically, "No, no, no! Come back! Stop it!" I was screaming and tearing at my hair. "Stop! Come back here! No!" I collapsed onto the ground, which had stopped its current during our last conversation. I ripped at the moss on the ground and finally stopped and rested against a tree. I looked at the corpse of Atlanta. I got up, walked towards her, and took off my ring. When I placed it on her right ring finger, she started glowing red and was soon engulfed in gentle flames. Her body was soon swept away to God knows where, taking my ring with her. I was happy that I took the ring instead of my weapons. "Thank you, mother."

I started on my way back to the cave. On my way, I came across a rabbit who was throwing rose petals on the ground from a basket. "Hello, little fella!" I said, stooping down to see him. He looked at me, fear in his eyes. He shook his head and dropped rose petals more vigorously.

"Oh, don't mind him! He can't speak anyway." Said another rabbit, coming out of the brush. They were both standing on two legs, and the one who had just come out was wearing a fancy ball gown. What made the sight more peculiar was the fact that they were, well, normal rabbit sized, and nothing here was normal.

"Why not?" I asked.

"I cut his tongue out! See?" She pointed to her necklace, which had a variety of teeth and a tongue in the middle.

"Umm… fabulous." I commented.

"Oh, I just knew you'd love it! Everyone does. It's the must-have accessory this season." She gushed.

"Right, well, would you mind telling me where the fox lives?" I asked.

"Of course! He lives that way." She pointed behind her. The other rabbit shook his head and pointed the opposite direction. "You stupid buffoon! Don't listen to him. He's dumber than a post." Just then, an anaconda slithered out from a tree.

"You again?" I said, not particularly happy to meet my old acquaintance.

"Who again?" He said.

"You. You're the crazy anaconda." I said coldly.

"I'm not the crazy one- you are." He commented.

"Kill it! Kill that nasty snake, Gillian!" Screeched the female bunny. Her fur was turning red and she was jumping up and down in anger.

"Oh, calm down. He's just a snake." I said.

"Kill her too! Kill them all! Eek! Snakes are gross! What are you waiting for?" She pressured poor Gillian. Gillian just shook and covered his head in rose petals.

"Hush now, Mrs. Foxtrot, don't be alarmed. It's just me." My anaconda friend cooed.

"You disgusting snake! I'll tear you!" She suddenly grew large fangs and claws and leapt at my anaconda. He dodged easily.

"So have you found your fox yet?" He asked, still parrying Mrs. Foxtrot's blows.

"No, I'm afraid I haven't." I admitted.

"I didn't think so. You would be dead if you had." He knocked the annoying rabbit away with his tail.

"Do you know where I can find him?" I asked.

"Yes. Did you try looking in that direction?" He asked, pointing his tail towards where Gillian had pointed.

"No, I haven't. Thank you." I said.

"Not a problem." He said. I turned to walk away just as he was swallowing Mrs. Foxtrot whole. As I walked, the trees swayed, even without breeze. The ticking of the clocks had stopped, but the clocks were still there. I started humming a tune to pass the time, and a little blue bird came up to me and started humming along with me.

"You're a cute one." I told her. She kept humming. The anaconda slithered up next to me.

"Not everything here talks, you know." He said.

"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" I asked.

"Hmm… Yes, I suppose am. Apologies." And with that, he dove into the ground. I resumed walking.

"He's an odd one." I told the bird. She tweeted. "I like you." I said, smiling. We resumed humming until a blood-curdling scream broke the air. My poor bird-friend exploded on impact.


	22. Chapter 22

***Ahem* **

**Dear fans (if any), **

**I love comments with a passion! Seriously! If you love the story, comment. If you hate the story, tell me why. If you have a suggestion, inform me. I will listen! Comments make writing worthwhile! **

**In other news, the movie is coming out TODAY! EEEEPPP!!!! –Spaz- In case you haven't noticed, I'm really excited. YAY! (Logan Lerman is HOTTT! 3) So yeah. Thanks for reading my (tiny) rant. LOVE YOU! :D **

**-Lauren**

**P.S.- Yes, I have to end every chapter with a cliffhanger. ;) **

**Back to the story…**

I didn't waste time mourning for my birdie friend. I swallowed my fear and ran straight towards the noise. The trees had grown faces and were swaying, singing a terrifying, frantic tune. Clocks were shattering around me, but the glass didn't hit me. The metalwork bent out of shape and the hands flew off of the clocks like tiny arrows of death. I kept on running towards the scream, though. It was blowing the trees back aswell as my hair, making it hard to run. The ground started rippling underneath me again like sound waves.

It was Atlanta's scream.

I kept running until I saw a cave. My entire being wanted me to turn back. It wanted me to jump up in the air and out of the whirlpool from whence I came. What propelled me foreword I have no idea, but I'm glad it did. I kept running into the pitch dark. The scream had stopped by now, but it did not remove the fear. I couldn't see anything, and the darkness continued. I kept running and running until I saw a light in the distance. I heard the scream again, and ran faster. It took me awhile before I realized that, sitting under the light, was a single lonely toucan, screaming Atlanta's exact scream. I ran right up to the bird and clawed his eyes out. I heard a sickening screech coming from the bird, and then he turned to dust. I looked up to see where the light was coming from.

It was a ring, glowing like a thousand suns. I could barely look at it. It provided enough light for me to see that to continue, I needed to turn right. I did just that. It was another five minutes before I saw another light. This time I ran towards it, knowing I had to kill whatever was under it.

It was a little black lab puppy. He was wagging his tail and barking at me playfully. "Aww!" I said, running up to him. "I'm not gonna kill you!" I reached my fingers into his cage and he licked them. I scratched his side. "I'll come back and get you after I kill the fox, okay?" His demeanor changed when I mentioned the fox. He started growling and barking, his hackles up. "He put you in here." I accused. The puppy dog nodded. I didn't think it peculiar that he understood me after all I'd been through today. Curiosity got the best of me, though, and I looked up to see what was making the light. It was a sword.

"Achilles sword." I guessed, and then continued on to the left turn. When I saw the next light, I ran. When I got there, the sight was strange. "A steak?" I said aloud. It was a hot, delicious smelling prime rib, sitting on a plate on a stool. I was about to dig in until I remembered that nothing here was as it seemed. It could poison me, or worse- it could be like underworld food: One bite and you're trapped here forever. I knew without looking what was making the light: the belt. I confirmed my suspicions anyway. I continued on, growing somewhat weary from hunger. I saw another light in the distance finally. I ran to it.

Under the light was a small fox gnawing at a pile of bones. I tried not to think what species they were from, but I was pretty sure they were people bones. It caught my eye.

"Zenia," He said in a deep, menacing voice, "You have finally arrived."


	23. Chapter 23

He stood like a human, but he could not have been taller than my hip. "I have, Teumessian Fox."

"Please!" He exclaimed, "Call me Tewey!" He threw his bone away.

"Alright… Umm… Tewey. I need to ask a favor of you." I said.

"What's that?" He asked. I was surprised I had not been attacked yet.

"I want the belt, the sword, and the ring." I said, trying to sound bold. The fox thought for a minute.

"Mmm… nope. Can't do that." Said the fox, "But I think your bones would go very well with my collection!" He gave me an evil smirk.

"Umm, actually, I was just leaving." I said, stepping back.

"Okay. Come back soon, though, I get hungry." He said, dismissing me. He picked up a rib and inspected it. I ran far, far away, all the way back to where the toucan once screamed. I stopped and saw his eyes on the ground. Gingerly, I lifted them up.

"So gross…" I muttered. I walked back to the dog cage. He was happy to see me. "Hey, pup! How are ya?" He barked and licked the edge of the cage where I saw a keyhole. It was big. I decided to stuff the eyes in to see if it would do anything.

The whole cave shook, and I heard a clang behind me. I ran back to find that the ring had fallen to the ground. I took it up and put it on, and suddenly I couldn't see myself anymore. Invisibility. I took it off and went back to where the sword glowed and found that my puppy had freed himself of the cage. I thought for a moment… steak!

"You like steak, boy?" I asked. He barked and wagged his tail. "Come on!" We started running towards the steak. We found it, and puppy knocked it off the stool and wolfed it down. I heard a louder clang behind me and figured the sword fell. I retrieved the sword and, when I had returned, my puppy was no longer a puppy.

"Lailaps." I identified. Zeus had created him to catch the fox, but he and the fox had been turned to stone a while ago: The fox was destined to never be caught, and Lailaps had been destined to catch anything it chased. You can see where the problem lied. I looked up at him. It was a wonder he fit in the cave. "You remember your old pal Tewey?" I asked him.

He growled. "Let's go get him." He barked and rocketed foreword. When we had arrived in the Teumessian fox's lair, he was sitting on a pile of bones.

"You again!" He said, glaring at Lailaps. He barked viciously and lunged at the fox, which skillfully avoided him. "I thought I locked you in a cage. No matter. I'll just do it again." By the light of Achilles' sword, I could see that the room was expansive, and I was standing between him and the only exit. He broke into a run and Lailaps chased him around the room. I watched for a few minutes, wondering what to do.

I slipped on the ring. "Hey!" Shouted Tewey, "Where did she go?" Lailaps nipped at his tail, but he continued running. I jumped out in front of him and put my sword in his way. He ran right into it. A gash ran through his body, and I cut his head off. I took off the ring. No clink of a belt hitting the ground. No way out.

"What gives?!" I exclaimed, "I thought I was supposed to kill the fox and get out of here." Lailaps sat down and nuzzled his head.

"Oh now that's nasty." I said. I didn't look as I removed the evil eyes. I heard the noise of leather falling and hitting the ground. "Yes." I said. I went back and took the belt. "Now what?" I asked. I decided to put the belt on, and the cave shook with such force it knocked me off my feet. I closed my eyes and as a blinding light overtook the passageways. I opened them after the shaking had stopped. Lailaps was gone, but there was a spiral staircase that led to the top of the cave. I ascended the stairs and opened the hatch on the top.

I stepped out, and I was inside a whirlpool. It died down, and I recognized that I was on the Amazon River. I was in the same place I had entered into, in fact. I looked around. Nobody was there. I started on the path back to where the Amazon camp was and wondered how long I had been down there. Had it been seconds? Days? Years? There was no way to be sure. After an hour of searching, I found the white house-like building. The ocelots were playing, and everyone was standing in the lobby.

"Zenia?" Klaus asked, sounding surprised, "What are you doing back so soon?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, "I've been down there for at least a day!"

"No, Zenia… It's been two hours."

"Wow… Time crawls on when you're down there." I remarked. Klaus stared at me.

"You have the artifacts!" She exclaimed. I noticed that the items were no longer glowing and I was not invisible anymore. I handed her the ring and the sword.

"And as a reward you will keep your belt. Go and complete your quest before we're all boiled alive!" She exclaimed. I said goodbye to Daphne and Klaus after explaining my adventure to everyone. A scribe copied down every word, which made me feel special. I was clothed, and Orion was released.

"Thank God!" He exclaimed, "I thought I would be in that cell forever. Did you get the belt?"

"Yep!" I said, swinging my hips. It was a cute accessory.

"So, how are we going to get to Mount Olympus?" He asked.

Just then, a puppy came bounding through the doors. "Lailaps!" I exclaimed. He ran right up to me and I picked him up. He licked my face all over.

_Shadow travel for three?_ Philana asked, walking up.

"He's a hellhound?" I asked.

_Of course!_ Philana exclaimed.

"Okay, then. Shadow travel for three!" I told him. He jumped out of my arms and morphed into a giant, vicious dog. I climbed on, followed by Orion, who carried Philana.

"To Mount Olympus!" Orion instructed, and Lailaps leapt into the shadows.


	24. Chapter 24

**HAPPY MARDI GRAS, PEOPLE! WOOO! PAAAAR-TAY! **

**Sorry about that. Just wishing I was in New Orleans… -dreams-**

**(Oh, and, I forgot to mention this in the last chapter, but Zenia did get her knives back. Sorry about that!) **

We arrived in front of the Empire State Building. There was no snow on the ground, and everyone was wearing summer clothes. "Six hundredth floor?" I asked.

"Yep," Orion responded, "Six hundredth floor."

We went inside and into the elevator. "Where's the six-hundredth button?" I asked, surveying the wide array of buttons.

A chubby man in a gray suit and sunglasses walked into the elevator with a key. He didn't look at all surprised to see Philana. I wondered what the mist portrayed her as. "You kids better get out of here," He said, "I'm here on important business."

"Olympus?" Orion asked. I stomped on his foot.

"What do you mean?" He asked, raising an eyebrow above his sunglasses.

"Mount Olympus, on the top of this building?" He questioned. I gave him a dirty look.

"You kids know about Mount Olympus?" He asked, surprised. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you go up there."

"But we're demigods!" Orion complained.

"Who are you kids, anyway?" He asked.

"I'm Orion, son of Apollo, and this is Zenia, daughter of Hestia." He identified us.

He raised both his eyebrows this time. "Daughter of Hestia, you say?" He sounded very surprised, "I apologize, lady Zenia! I'll get you to Olympus with your friend right away."

"How did you…" But he was already working on the buttons. We were zooming up towards the sky in no time. We came to an abrupt stop and the doors slid open.

I was totally awestruck. It was a beautiful mountain, teeming with life. Gardens were everywhere and enormous (yet still graceful) birds littered the sky. Gods were meeting in the streets and talking. Small, gorgeous houses were planted in random places on the mountain. I snapped out of my daze when Philana spoke.

_We have to get to the top. Come on._ She said.

"We should get going." I translated to Orion, who was standing there with his mouth open. He shook his head.

"Right." He agreed, "Let's go, then." The man in the suit directed us towards Aphrodite's house. We thanked him and were on our way.

We finally arrived at the entrance to her quaint home. It had a breathtaking garden out front: there was a cobblestone pathway leading to her front door with a perfectly manicured lawn and fountains on either side. We walked up and I tentatively knocked on the door.

"Umm… just a minute!" She shouted. I heard banging and running inside the house. A few minutes later, I saw some biker guy with his pants on backwards running out the back door.

Aphrodite opened the front door. "Hey!" She said, smoothing out her hair. "What can I do for you kids?"

I glanced at Orion, who was practically drooling. He didn't look quite capable of speech.

"We have your belt, Lady Aphrodite." I told her.

"Ooh!" She exclaimed, "Let me see it!" She looked like a kid on Christmas morning.

I was about to take it off and hand it to her, but I felt something holding me back. "Do you swear on the River Styx that you will give us the information we desire?" I asked.

"Yes, I swear upon the River Styx. Now give it!" She stared at my waist. I untied it and handed it over to her. She smiled. "It's beautiful!" She remarked.

"Right. Now, tell us, who is the man on this earth made for Persephone?" I questioned.

But before she could answer, the belt started shaking. It grew scales. Aphrodite screamed and dropped it on the ground. Before we knew it, my anaconda friend lay before us. "Headdesk" would not even begin to describe how I was feeling.

"Hello," He said, "Where am I?"

"You fools!" Aphrodite screeched, "This is not the belt! How DARE you try to trick me?!"

"No," the snake replied, "I am the belt of Hyppolyte." He started coughing and hacking. I half expected another creature to emerge, but instead, he regurgitated an antique brown clock no larger than my palm. He then started shaking again, and he died. His insides disappeared, though, and only a shrunken snakeskin was left. I took it up and hooked the clock to it.

"Hey," Said Aphrodite, "Would you look at that!" She took the belt from me and modeled it.

"You look great!" I commented.

"Of course I look great. I'm the goddess of beauty." She remarked. Touché.

"Well? Persephone's love?" I pressed.

"Oh, right! Persephone. Poor dear, being stuck with that monster Hades…" She said, quite off track. "Yes, Persephone. I have known her true love for a long time now."

"Who is it?" I asked.

"Will Solace."


	25. Chapter 25

And so I just stood there. My mouth was slightly open in shock and my head had tilted to the side. Will Solace?! Of all the people on this earth, it had to be _Will_?! There had to be some kind of mistake. Surely it couldn't be the Will Solace that was _kidnapped_. Could it be? There was no way.

"Umm…" I started, "Is there anyone _else_?"

Aphrodite scowled. "What part of 'soul mate' do you not understand?" She asked angrily.

"Right… Well… We have a problem. You see, Will has been kidnapped by an unknown god." I told her.

"That's not my problem. I have the belt. Goodbye!" She shoved us out the door and we heard locks latching behind us.

"This sucks." Orion commented.

"Royally." I agreed.

Philana poked me with her cold, wet nose. _I know who kidnapped Will Solace. _

"Really?" I asked, "How long have you known?"

_Since he was kidnapped…_ She said guiltily.

"WHAT?!" I exclaimed, outraged, "You KNEW this WHOLE TIME?!"

_Shut it! _She snapped, _If I told you it was Persephone, you would have gone looking for him and wasted all your time!_

"PERSEPHONE?!" Oh my god. Epiphany. "We wouldn't _have _to have looked for the belt if you had just told us!"

_How was I supposed to know that Persephone loved him? Besides, once you go on a quest for the gods, you have to finish it, otherwise they will kill you without a moments hesitation._

"Oh, and she _loved _him. How fricken' sweet. Why didn't you just _tell_ me?" I asked. I was totally angry by now.

_I already told you. Now stop fighting me and let's go to Antarctica. _

I sighed and agreed. I filled a very amazed Orion in and we all decided that Hartsfield-Jackson International would be the best place to search for a pathway to Antarctica, since there were obviously no flights to Persephone's temporary lair.

When we got there, night was just beginning to fall. We made our way to the place where we came out the first time.

"Okay, now what?" I asked.

"I don't know… Look for a hidden trap door, I guess." Orion replied. The two of us were on our hands and knees looking for the trapdoor when I heard a security officer.

"Hey!" He shouted, "No dogs aloud! Get your greyhound outta here!"

"I found it!" Orion exclaimed, waiving. I looked at Philana, who was frozen in fear.

"Come on!" I told her, and we ran for Orion. He was crouched over a hole in the ground.

"Get 'em!" The security officer instructed his colleagues.

He was too late, though. Orion, Philana and I had already jumped into the trapdoor. We were in the underworld. We climbed back up the bone ladder and opened it. There was a beautiful grassy meadow. "We're here." I said, climbing out of the hole. My friends followed.

Demeter immediately greeted us. "Oh," She said, "Thank goodness you are here. Do you have the name of my daughter's love? She hasn't left the side of that _Will Solace_ kid since she kidnapped him!"

She didn't seem too happy about Will. "Well," I said, "You're not going to like this news." She furrowed her brow.

"What do you mean? Has my beautiful Persephone no match in the world?" She asked.

"She does have a match, but I don't think you'll be too fond on him." I explained.

"OH!" She screeched, "It's _HADES_! That _SCOUNDREL! _How _dare_ he think he's good enough for _my_ daughter!"

"Calm down, Demeter!" Orion said, "It's not him. It's Will."

"There are millions of Will's in this world." She retorted.

"Will Solace." I told her.

She sighed. "Well, it's better than nobody. I'll go break her the news."

"We'll come." I asserted.

"Fine."

We entered in a cute little hut where Persephone was cooking some delicious food. Will was lounging on the bed. He stood up when he saw us.

"Persephone, dear, your demigods have found your true love." Demeter said.

"Oh, wonderful!" Persephone exclaimed, "Who is it?"

I pointed to Will. Will raised his eyebrows. "No way." He said in disbelief.

"Yeah way. Now stop making it forever springtime." I demanded of his lover.

"With pleasure!" She exclaimed, "The temperature on earth will return to normal in a few days."

"Thank you." I replied.

"So, brother, why did Persephone kidnap you in the first place?" Orion asked. Demeter left.

"Because," Said Persephone, taking Will's hand, "I fell in love with him since the first time I saw him!"

"Aww! I love you, pookiebear!" Will said, kissing his new girlfriend.

"Not as much as I love you, sugarpie!" She said.

"Really," I asked, "in front of your brother?"

"Sorry, baby brother." Will said, walking over to Orion and messing up his hair. Orion looked traumatized.

"Well," Said Persephone, "I need to get back to Hades before the world explodes… literally. I'll visit you every summer, puddingface! I promise!" Orion, Philana and I turned and left when we saw Persephone and Will start their make-out session.

"That was disturbing on so many levels." Orion commented.

"I thought it was sweet," I argued, "true love!"

Orion rolled his eyes. I smiled. "Let's get back to Chiron. He's probably wondering where we are."

"Agreed." Orion said.

**Hey, readers! It's not over yet! I'll have one more story chapter after this, followed by a chapter on the kidnapping of Will Solace. Then I'll have one more fluff chapter of Will x Persephone and that'll be it! Love ya! -Lauren **

**(Edit- I may make a sequel... who knows?) =3**


	26. Chapter 26

"Mind giving us a portal back to Camp Half-Blood?" I asked her.

"Hmm… Sorry, guys. Can't do that. I can only make portals to the underworld, which only lead to Hartsfield-Jackson International." She explained.

"We don't have enough money to fly us back there." I said to my friends.

"I would try talking to Hades," she said, "I think he has a soft spot for you. You did rid the underworld of pink, after all."

"Okay, thanks." Orion said. A hole appeared in front of us, and we jumped in. We immediately saw Cerberus- he didn't look mad, though. In fact, he looked perfectly happy playing with another hellhound. Wait…

"Mrs. O'Leary!" I called. She looked up and bounded towards us. The three of us were covered in dog saliva after she licked us, except Philana. Mrs. O'Leary was growling at her.

Orion got an idea. "Shadow travel!"

_No, _said Philana,_ you can't shadow travel in the underworld. _I translated for the group.

"Well then come on! Let's go up the portal!" He exclaimed enthusiastically. I looked up at the rope ladder that led up there and the small trapdoor.

"Mrs. O'Leary would never fit through there! Besides, I don't think the staff there like us." I said.

"Right, so we'll visit Hades." Orion proposed.

One very long trek later and we were at the door of his palace. The gunmen parted to let us through, and a skeleton in a suit walked up to us. "I have been assigned to your group. I shall escort you to the throne room." Weird.

"Yes, sir." Will said. We followed him into the spacious, high-ceilinged room. Hades and Persephone were seated on their thrones. She looked up and winked at Will, then went back to filing her nails. I wondered how she got back so fast, but then I remembered: Duhh. Goddess.

"Welcome, Zenia and… other two. Thank you for saving me from the wrath of my wife." He said warmly. I lifted an eyebrow. Hades was thanking us?

"Why are you thanking us?" Will asked, translating my thoughts into words. Hades gripped the arm of his chair.

"I'm trying to be a little bit more… mature about things." He spat. Persephone rolled her eyes.

"Maturity will not get you back onto Olympus, you know." Persephone said.

Hades clenched his eyes shut. "Just take these boys and their _pets_ away!"

"What if I take away just _one_ boy and _leave_ the pets?" Persephone asked. Hades growled, which was kind of creepy. "Fine, I'll take them away…" She led them out.

I took a step back. "What?"

"Zenia, you are not a demigod." He told me.

"So I've been told."

"Right, well, do you know what you are?" He asked.

"No, nobody has bothered to tell me." I said, frustrated.

"And you don't know who your father is?"

"Nope."

There was a dramatic pause, followed by Hades standing up. "Zenia, you freed me from my springtime prison and returned my wife to me. I thank you for that. In return, I shall reward you with knowledge." Cool. "I am your father."

Wow. That was a lot to take in. "Wait… so, what does that make me?"

"That makes you, dear daughter, a goddess." A _what_ now?!

"A uhh… Uhh…" That was too much to take in. My legs gave out and I soon couldn't see a thing.

I woke up with a jolt. "Oh God, what a dream…" I looked around. I was in a nice room with wooden furniture. My sheets were soft and there was nobody there. I opened the door and walked into a small, old-style kitchen. A woman in a cute housedress turned around and smiled. "Atlanta!" I shouted, running up to her. She accepted me with open arms. "Atlanta, I had the worst dream! I thought you were dead!" She relaxed her grip on me and looked me sadly in the eyes. "Oh no…"

"Zenia, it's okay! That was my third life on earth. I'm now here with my Helene!" She exclaimed happily.

"But… You can't come back now."

"I'm happy now! I have everything I want. Every day is a delight!" She said.

I forced a smile. "I have news, too."

Her smile faded. "I know your news."

"How long have you known?"

"A few thousand years." I sighed.

"Well, at least you'll be having fun here with your Helene. You have told her by now, yes?" I asked. She shifted uneasily.

"I haven't gotten around to that yet…" She stammered, "I would have, but…. It's just… I don't want to ruin our friendship." She said. I nodded.

Just then the door opened and another striking woman walked in. She smiled. "You must be Zenia. Atlanta has told me all about you."

"Zenia, this is Helene." Atlanta introduced.

"Pleasure!" I shook her hand. "So I'm a goddess, right? That means I can come and visit you guys whenever I want to! Hades _is_ my father, after all."

Atlanta smiled. "Of course you will be! As long as you aren't on a world-saving quest, that is." She winked.

"Trust me, I have had my fill of those for quite a few years!" I replied.

Helene laughed. "You may think so now, but come tomorrow, you will be itching to save the world again."

"Once you have a taste of adventure, you're never going back!" Atlanta agreed.

"You guys are great, but I should be getting back to camp. How long have I been out, anyway?" I asked.

"Oh, just an hour or two." Helene replied. Atlanta walked me outside on their pretty green lawn.

"I have something for you." She said, handing me a little box. "Open it when you get home."

I nodded. "I'll do that. Thank you so much, Atlanta. You have really been a great friend."

She patted my shoulder. "Don't mention it." She said with a grin.

"Bye!" I shouted as I made my way down the street. It was like a suburb, lined with houses and white picket fences. The lawns were greener than ever and children played with dogs and rode up and down the road on bicycles. I could see smoke rising from a few backyards where they were having bonfires or having cookouts for their friends. I would have to come back here soon. Maybe Hades could reserve a house for me for whenever I visit. That would be nice. I stopped a man getting mail out of his mailbox. "Excuse me, sir, do you have time to answer a question of mine?"

"Of course, young lady! Anything for a goddess of your stature." He replied with the air of happiness.

I decided to ask him something that was kind of bugging me about this place. "Is it always daytime here?"

"Nope!"

"What about all the children… did they all die at a young age?" I asked, scared about all the children's death.

"When you die, the council lets you choose what age you want to be in the afterlife. You can grow and shrink, though." He replied.

"Okay, one more question. How do I get to Hades palace?"

He handed me a blank envelope from his stack. "Open it!" He instructed. I did just that, and a puff of sparkly purple smoke came out. I coughed and hacked and couldn't see a thing. When it had cleared, I was standing in Hades throne room. Philana, Mrs. O'Leary, and Orion were waiting next to his throne.

"Look who decided to come back." He said.

I sighed. "Just take me home." He handed the four of us pearls and we stomped on them. (Except for Mrs. O'Leary, who ate hers… Good thing it still worked!) I imagined my cozy cabin in Camp Half-Blood and in a few seconds, I was there. I walked outside to see that a light snow was beginning to fall. I shivered and quickly scrambled back inside to put some warmer clothes on. There was a fire roaring in the fireplace and my mother was poking at it with a metal stick.

"Hestia." I said with a sigh of relief.

She turned to face me. "Zenia, please, call me mother."

The look of her face brought relaxation to all my limbs and I was just about ready to crawl into bed. "Yes, ma'am… err, mother."

She smiled. "It will take some time. You might want to call your parents, though. They have been worried sick ever since you stopped calling."

"Oh, right! They must be going insane!" I exclaimed. Hestia pulled out an iPhone and I quickly dialed my home number.

"Hello?" Asked a familiar voice.

"Mommy, it's me!" I said.

"Zenia! Oh, thank God you're safe!" She exclaimed. I heard her talking away from the phone. "She's okay!" She shouted, "She is safe!"

I gave a little laugh. "Yes, mother, I'm fine."

"I was so worried about you! Oh, let me get the keys. I'll come pick you up and we can talk all about it." She gushed.

I closed my eyes and I could practically smell the chocolate-chip cookies of home. "That'd be nice." I said.

"I'll be there in half an hour. See you then!" She said happily.

"See ya!" I said as I ended the call. "Well, I've got half an hour for my goodbye's."

"That's time enough. You won't be gone forever, though, you'll come back." She said in her usual soothing tone.

"Yeah, I guess so. Do I get to take Philana with me?" I asked.

"Of course! Mortals will see her as the cutest Great Dane to ever live." She replied.

"Good." I said happily. We walked outside together and I took in the crisp New York air.

"Hey!" Some girl passing by said, "Thanks!"

I smiled. "No problem!" I called after her.

Someone else patted me on the shoulder on his way by. "Looks like you're going to be famous around here for awhile." Said Hestia.

"The next half hour, at least." I said happily. I couldn't wait to see my friends and my parents and my home.

Orion ran up to me. "Hey, Zenia!" He said, out of breath, "Great news!"

"What?" I asked, excited.

"Mrs. O'Leary is… She's…" He said between breaths.

"Out with it!" I prompted.

"She's pregnant!"

I giggled. "Oh, Mrs. O'Leary! What are we going to do with her?"

"Well, Annabeth has already called one of the puppies. Chiron said that there are two. Do you want the other one?" He asked.

I smiled and glanced over at Philana, who had since sauntered over to where we were standing. "Thanks, but I already have a pet."

_I am nobody's pet!_ She exclaimed with a humorous undertone.

"Excuse me, I have an _animal stalker_." I clarified.

_That's more like it._

"Then would you mind if I…" Orion started.

"Of course not! Go ahead and have the other… under one condition." I said.

"What's that?" He asked.

"I want her to be named Atlanta." I said.

He smiled. "Not a problem!"

I saw Philana and my mother start to walk off.

"Where are you going?" I called back.

_Your mother is quite interesting!_ Philana said, _I find her stories very entrancing._

"You can talk to her?"

_She _is_ a goddess, after all_. Philana replied.

I turned back to Orion. "There's something I want to tell you…" He said nervously.

"Okay, what is it?" I asked.

"I… umm… I think… What I'm trying to say is…" He stammered.

"Yeah…" I prompted.

"I think what you did was very heroic!" He quickly spat out. I smiled.

"You are just as much a hero as me." I told him. He smiled.

"So this is goodbye?" He asked.

"Only until summer." I said.

"Yes, only until this summer. I'll see you then, I guess." He said.

"Bye!" I wished, turning back to my cabin to pack my things. I heard a light pair of footsteps approach Orion.

"Hey, what was that?" I recognized the quiet feminine whisper of an Aphrodite child, "I thought you were gonna tell her!"

"It can wait. She'll be back this summer." I heard him whisper back as I closed the door and smiled. I sat down on my bed, suitcase ready to go, and remembered the box Atlanta gave me. I pulled it out of the pocket in my shorts. (Which had been packed, so I got the pleasure of putting all my stuff _back_ into the suitcase!) I gently took off the lid and looked at the contents of the small box. It was a sliver ring, laden with swirls, and a garnet stone in the middle. It was the one that had released Atlanta's body. I slipped it on and set the box down on my bed. I glanced at the fire, gently eating away at the kindling. I couldn't wait to come back this summer.

**The end! I hope you liked Zenia, my first ever Percy Jackson and the Olympians Fanfic! I will probably write a sequel, maybe in Orion's POV. Please tell me what you think! I have two other PJO fanfics that I would suggest you read. Thank you so much for reading! **

**Until next time, **

**-Lauren **

**=) **


	27. The Kidnapping of Will Solace

"Will!" She whispered coarsely, "Will! Wake up!"

"Whaa?" I said, pulling a hand up to my throbbing skull.

"_Shhh!_" She insisted, "You'll wake everyone up!"

"Persephone?" I asked, identifying the mystery voice.

"Yes, it's me, you buffoon. Now get up. I… I have something I have to tell you." She whispered.

I yawned. She took my hand and slowly lifted me up. "Persephone, why are you here?" I asked the goddess. I could barely see her in the darkness, but the gentle glow of springtime her skin was giving off showed the expression on her face to be very conflicted… and very beautiful.

"It's just… I…" She stammered in her whisper. I guessed that it had been awhile since she has been at a loss for words. Her amazing brown eyes were downcast, and I placed my hand on her cheek.

"Wait." I ordered, before she could continue. My emotions were welling up inside of me. I had to tell her this, even if it meant I would get struck down on the spot. I wasn't sure why she came here, but I was glad she did. "Persephone, I love you."

Her eyes snapped up to look me in mine own eyes. A tear slid down one of her cheeks. "Do… do you mean it, Will Solace?"

"I do, Persephone, I do with all my heart." The words just flowed out of my mouth. I spoke at a normal volume now, but nobody stirred. "I have since the moment I saw you. Your image was the only thing keeping me sane in the trip down the river. You have not left my mind since I saw you."

"Oh, Will…" She started, but I cut her off.

"Persephone, I need you so badly. After all the hardships of the war, I didn't think I could go on. Then I saw you in your beautiful springtime and I knew that I never wanted to be anywhere but in your amazing beauty. I want to be in springtime!" I shouted, not caring if the whole entire world woke at the sound. Silence.

Persephone chose not to respond with words, but rather with her lips. Her lips were warm and comforting on my own, and I felt myself nearly melting. "My quest…" I started after pulling myself away from her.

"Forget your quest…" She whispered through rouged lips.

"I can't just…" I started.

"Oh, but you can…" She whispered again, her voice dripping sex.

"It's not that easy…" I fought again, but I was growing weaker. The scent of flowers from her breath was overwhelming my senses.

"Oh, but it is…" She whispered one last time. I pulled her onto my lips this time, taking in the contours of hers. I could almost feel her smiling as the world disintegrated around us.

Before I knew it, I was waking up in the softest bed I have ever been in. I opened my eyes to see the beautiful goddess Persephone tying up her hair with a pink satin ribbon.

"I like your natural hair down," I commented, standing up, "I like your natural self very much."

She smiled as she turned around. Her yellow dress seemed to catch the sunlight coming from nowhere.

"I love you, too, Will." She said with a smile, wrapping her arms around my waist.

I slowly remembered how I had gotten here. "What are we going to do about… well… us?" I asked her. I hadn't really thought about it in the last few hours.

"I'll see you in the summertime." Persephone insisted, "Hades cannot see me when I'm out of the underworld. He is blinded by the spring." She said as she pressed her lips to my neck.

I kissed the top of her hair. "So you will have me in the summer?" I asked.

"Correction," she stated, her breath hot against my skin, "_You_ will have _me._"

THE END!  
After a long hiatus, I have finally decided to add a sequel in the POV of Orion.

**Let the cheering begin :) **


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